Structures of BIRC6-client complexes provide a mechanism of SMAC-mediated release of caspases

The correlation between Smac, IAPs and mitochondrial apoptosis, muscle tenderness during postmortem aging of Oula Tibetan sheep meat

Oula Tibetan sheep meat has rich nutritional value but relatively poor tenderness. Recently, apoptosis of muscle cells has gradually become a research hotspot for improving meat tenderness during postmortem aging. Smac can promote the decrease of IAPs expression in tumor cells, thereby inducing mitochondrial apoptosis. However, the relationship between Smac, IAPs and mitochondrial apoptosis, muscle tenderness during postmortem meat aging is still unclear. Thus, the aim of this work was to explore the relationship between Smac, IAPs and mitochondrial apoptosis as well as muscle tenderness during postmortem meat aging. Smac concentration, IAPs concentration, pH value, ATP content, SDH activity, MPTP opening degree, MMP, caspase-3/9 activity, apoptotic rate, MFI and shear force value of Oula Tibetan sheep meat were measured at different aging times and correlation analysis was performed. Correlation analysis revealed that Smac, IAPs were markedly related to mitochondrial apoptosis and muscle tenderness during postmortem aging of Tibetan sheep meat. The results suggest that Smac may regulate IAPs to promote mitochondrial apoptosis and muscle tenderization in Oula Tibetan sheep meat during postmortem aging.

Pyroptosis and chemical classification of pyroptotic agents

Pyroptosis, as a lytic-inflammatory type of programmed cell death, has garnered considerable attention due to its role in cancer chemotherapy and many inflammatory diseases. This review will discuss the biochemical classification of pyroptotic inducers according to their chemical structure, pyroptotic mechanism, and cancer type of these targets. A structure-activity relationship study on pyroptotic inducers is revealed based on the surveyed pyroptotic inducer chemotherapeutics. The shared features in the chemical structures of current pyroptotic inducer agents were displayed, including an essential cyclic head, a vital linker, and a hydrophilic tail that is significant for π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding. The presented structural features will open the way to design new hybridized classes or scaffolds as potent pyroptotic inducers in the future, which may represent a solution to the apoptotic-resistance dilemma along with synergistic chemotherapeutic advantage.

Noncanonical assembly, neddylation and chimeric cullin-RING/RBR ubiquitylation by the 1.8 MDa CUL9 E3 ligase complex

Ubiquitin ligation is typically executed by hallmark E3 catalytic domains. Two such domains, 'cullin-RING' and 'RBR', are individually found in several hundred human E3 ligases, and collaborate with E2 enzymes to catalyze ubiquitylation. However, the vertebrate-specific CUL9 complex with RBX1 (also called ROC1), of interest due to its tumor suppressive interaction with TP53, uniquely encompasses both cullin-RING and RBR domains. Here, cryo-EM, biochemistry and cellular assays elucidate a 1.8-MDa hexameric human CUL9-RBX1 assembly. Within one dimeric subcomplex, an E2-bound RBR domain is activated by neddylation of its own cullin domain and positioning from the adjacent CUL9-RBX1 in trans. Our data show CUL9 as unique among RBX1-bound cullins in dependence on the metazoan-specific UBE2F neddylation enzyme, while the RBR domain protects it from deneddylation. Substrates are recruited to various upstream domains, while ubiquitylation relies on both CUL9's neddylated cullin and RBR domains achieving self-assembled and chimeric cullin-RING/RBR E3 ligase activity.

Structural basis of substrate recognition and allosteric activation of the proapoptotic mitochondrial HtrA2 protease

The mitochondrial serine protease HtrA2 is a human homolog of the Escherichia coli Deg-proteins exhibiting chaperone and proteolytic roles. HtrA2 is involved in both apoptotic regulation via its ability to degrade inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins (IAPs), as well as in cellular maintenance as part of the cellular protein quality control machinery, by preventing the possible toxic accumulation of aggregated proteins. In this study, we use advanced solution NMR spectroscopy methods combined with biophysical characterization and biochemical assays to elucidate the crucial role of the substrate recognizing PDZ domain. This domain regulates the protease activity of HtrA2 by triggering an intricate allosteric network involving the regulatory loops of the protease domain. We further show that divalent metal ions can both positively and negatively modulate the activity of HtrA2, leading to a refined model of HtrA2 regulation within the apoptotic pathway.

Non-canonical substrate recognition by the human WDR26-CTLH E3 ligase regulates prodrug metabolism

The yeast glucose-induced degradation-deficient (GID) E3 ubiquitin ligase forms a suite of complexes with interchangeable receptors that selectively recruit N-terminal degron motifs of metabolic enzyme substrates. The orthologous higher eukaryotic C-terminal to LisH (CTLH) E3 complex has been proposed to also recognize substrates through an alternative subunit, WDR26, which promotes the formation of supramolecular CTLH E3 assemblies. Here, we discover that human WDR26 binds the metabolic enzyme nicotinamide/nicotinic-acid-mononucleotide-adenylyltransferase 1 (NMNAT1) and mediates its CTLH E3-dependent ubiquitylation independently of canonical GID/CTLH E3-family substrate receptors. The CTLH subunit YPEL5 inhibits NMNAT1 ubiquitylation and cellular turnover by WDR26-CTLH E3, thereby affecting NMNAT1-mediated metabolic activation and cytotoxicity of the prodrug tiazofurin. Cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of NMNAT1- and YPEL5-bound WDR26-CTLH E3 complexes reveal an internal basic degron motif of NMNAT1 essential for targeting by WDR26-CTLH E3 and degron mimicry by YPEL5's N terminus antagonizing substrate binding. Thus, our data provide a mechanistic understanding of how YPEL5-WDR26-CTLH E3 acts as a modulator of NMNAT1-dependent metabolism.

A conserved N-terminal motif of CUL3 contributes to assembly and E3 ligase activity of CRL3KLHL22

The CUL3-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRL3s) play an essential role in response to extracellular nutrition and stress stimuli. The ubiquitin ligase function of CRL3s is activated through dimerization. However, how and why such a dimeric assembly is required for its ligase activity remains elusive. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of the dimeric CRL3KLHL22 complex and reveal a conserved N-terminal motif in CUL3 that contributes to the dimerization assembly and the E3 ligase activity of CRL3KLHL22. We show that deletion of the CUL3 N-terminal motif impairs dimeric assembly and the E3 ligase activity of both CRL3KLHL22 and several other CRL3s. In addition, we found that the dynamics of dimeric assembly of CRL3KLHL22 generates a variable ubiquitination zone, potentially facilitating substrate recognition and ubiquitination. These findings demonstrate that a CUL3 N-terminal motif participates in the assembly process and provide insights into the assembly and activation of CRL3s.

The ubiquitin codes in cellular stress responses

Ubiquitination/ubiquitylation, one of the most fundamental post-translational modifications, regulates almost every critical cellular process in eukaryotes. Emerging evidence has shown that essential components of numerous biological processes undergo ubiquitination in mammalian cells upon exposure to diverse stresses, from exogenous factors to cellular reactions, causing a dazzling variety of functional consequences. Various forms of ubiquitin signals generated by ubiquitylation events in specific milieus, known as ubiquitin codes, constitute an intrinsic part of myriad cellular stress responses. These ubiquitination events, leading to proteolytic turnover of the substrates or just switch in functionality, initiate, regulate, or supervise multiple cellular stress-associated responses, supporting adaptation, homeostasis recovery, and survival of the stressed cells. In this review, we attempted to summarize the crucial roles of ubiquitination in response to different environmental and intracellular stresses, while discussing how stresses modulate the ubiquitin system. This review also updates the most recent advances in understanding ubiquitination machinery as well as different stress responses and discusses some important questions that may warrant future investigation.

BIRC6 Modulates the Protein Stability of Axin to Regulate the Growth, Stemness, and Resistance of Renal Cancer Cells via the β-Catenin Pathway

The mechanism underlying the development of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unclear, and effective prevention and therapeutic measures are lacking. BIRC6, a protein inhibitor of apoptosis, has attracted great interest. Our data indicated that overexpression of BIRC6 elevated cell growth, colony formation, migration, and invasion of cultured RCC cells, while siRNA knockdown of BIRC6 suppressed these processes. Additionally, BIRC6 was highly expressed in RCC clinical samples along with a downregulated level of Axin. Immunoprecipitation assays found that BIRC6 interacted with Axin and the two proteins colocalized within the cytoplasm of RCC cells. Overexpression of BIRC6 promoted the ubiquitination modification of Axin, while genetic knockdown of BIRC6 suppressed it. Furthermore, overexpression of BIRC6 significantly promoted the turnover of Axin, suggesting BIRC6's inhibitory effect on Axin protein stability. BIRC6 was also upregulated in cancer stem-like cells of RCC and increased the drug resistance of RCC cells against sunitinib. Western blotting assays showed that the overexpression of BIRC6 upregulated CXCR4 protein expression and activated the β-catenin pathway. Two cell lines were then constructed with BIRC6 overexpressed by lentiviruses. Pharmacological administration of a Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor, XAV-939, or genetic knockdown of β-catenin inhibited cell growth, tumor sphere formation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of BIRC6-overexpressed cells. In vivo administration of XAV-939 markedly suppressed the tumorigenesis of BIRC6-overexpressed RCC cells in nude mice. In conclusion, we propose that BIRC6 activates the β-catenin signaling pathway via mediating the ubiquitination and degradation of Axin, promoting the growth, stemness, and drug resistance of RCC cells. This project aims to elucidate the role of BIRC6 as a potential therapeutic target and provide new insights into the clinical treatment of RCC.

Structural mechanisms of autoinhibition and substrate recognition by the ubiquitin ligase HACE1

Ubiquitin ligases (E3s) are pivotal specificity determinants in the ubiquitin system by selecting substrates and decorating them with distinct ubiquitin signals. However, structure determination of the underlying, specific E3-substrate complexes has proven challenging owing to their transient nature. In particular, it is incompletely understood how members of the catalytic cysteine-driven class of HECT-type ligases (HECTs) position substrate proteins for modification. Here, we report a cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the full-length human HECT HACE1, along with solution-based conformational analyses by small-angle X-ray scattering and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry. Structure-based functional analyses in vitro and in cells reveal that the activity of HACE1 is stringently regulated by dimerization-induced autoinhibition. The inhibition occurs at the first step of the catalytic cycle and is thus substrate-independent. We use mechanism-based chemical crosslinking to reconstitute a complex of activated, monomeric HACE1 with its major substrate, RAC1, determine its structure by cryo-EM and validate the binding mode by solution-based analyses. Our findings explain how HACE1 achieves selectivity in ubiquitinating the active, GTP-loaded state of RAC1 and establish a framework for interpreting mutational alterations of the HACE1-RAC1 interplay in disease. More broadly, this work illuminates central unexplored aspects in the architecture, conformational dynamics, regulation and specificity of full-length HECTs.

Molecular mechanisms underlying the BIRC6-mediated regulation of apoptosis and autophagy

Procaspase 9 is the initiator caspase for apoptosis, but how its levels and activities are maintained remains unclear. The gigantic Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis Protein BIRC6/BRUCE/Apollon inhibits both apoptosis and autophagy by promoting ubiquitylation of proapoptotic factors and the key autophagic protein LC3, respectively. Here we show that BIRC6 forms an anti-parallel U-shaped dimer with multiple previously unannotated domains, including a ubiquitin-like domain, and the proapoptotic factor Smac/DIABLO binds BIRC6 in the central cavity. Notably, Smac outcompetes the effector caspase 3 and the pro-apoptotic protease HtrA2, but not procaspase 9, for binding BIRC6 in cells. BIRC6 also binds LC3 through its LC3-interacting region, probably following dimer disruption of this BIRC6 region. Mutation at LC3 ubiquitylation site promotes autophagy and autophagic degradation of BIRC6. Moreover, induction of autophagy promotes autophagic degradation of BIRC6 and caspase 9, but not of other effector caspases. These results are important to understand how the balance between apoptosis and autophagy is regulated under pathophysiological conditions.

SMAC Mimetics for the Treatment of Lung Carcinoma: Present Development and Future Prospects

BACKGROUND

Uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation, which originate from lung tissue often lead to lung carcinoma and are more likely due to smoking as well as inhaled environmental toxins. It is widely recognized that tumour cells evade the ability of natural programmed death (apoptosis) and facilitates tumour progression and metastasis. Therefore investigating and targeting the apoptosis pathway is being utilized as one of the best approaches for decades.

OBJECTIVE

This review describes the emergence of SMAC mimetic drugs as a treatment approach, its possibilities to synergize the response along with current limitations as well as future perspective therapy for lung cancer.

METHOD

Articles were analysed using search engines and databases namely Pubmed and Scopus.

RESULT

Under cancerous circumstances, the level of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) gets elevated, which suppresses the pathway of programmed cell death, plus supports the proliferation of lung cancer. As it is a major apoptosis regulator, natural drugs that imitate the IAP antagonistic response like SMAC mimetic agents/Diablo have been identified to trigger cell death. SMAC i.e. second mitochondria activators of caspases is a molecule produced by mitochondria, stimulates apoptosis by neutralizing/inhibiting IAP and prevents its potential responsible for the activation of caspases. Various preclinical data have proven that these agents elicit the death of lung tumour cells. Apart from inducing apoptosis, these also sensitize the cancer cells toward other effective anticancer approaches like chemo, radio, or immunotherapies. There are many SMAC mimetic agents such as birinapant, BV-6, LCL161, and JP 1201, which have been identified for diagnosis as well as treatment purposes in lung cancer and are also under clinical investigation.

CONCLUSION

SMAC mimetics acts in a restorative way in the prevention of lung cancer.

Rational Prediction of PROTAC-Compatible Protein-Protein Interfaces by Molecular Docking

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are heterobifunctional ligands that mediate the interaction between a protein target and an E3 ligase, resulting in a ternary complex, whose interaction with the ubiquitination machinery leads to target degradation. This technology is emerging as an exciting new avenue for therapeutic development, with several PROTACs currently undergoing clinical trials targeting cancer. Here, we describe a general and computationally efficient methodology combining restraint-based docking, energy-based rescoring, and a filter based on the minimal solvent-accessible surface distance to produce PROTAC-compatible PPIs suitable for when there is no a priori known PROTAC ligand. In a benchmark employing a manually curated data set of 13 ternary complex crystals, we achieved an accuracy of 92% when starting from bound structures and 77% when starting from unbound structures, respectively. Our method only requires that the ligand-bound structures of the monomeric forms of the E3 ligase and target proteins be given to run, making it general, accurate, and highly efficient, with the ability to impact early-stage PROTAC-based drug design campaigns where no structural information about the ternary complex structure is available.

A massive machine regulates cell death

Structural analysis reveals how the decision to induce apoptotic cell death is regulated.